Region 8 Recognizes Rightful Affiliate

To whom it may concern:

The way the Libertarian Party Region 8 agreement was rolled out, with the other northeastern LP state affiliates pledging “no union with purgers” on Twitter is going to make two people in particular think quite reasonably – but incorrectly – that I’m insincere.

It was only 24 hours earlier that I nominated Don Graham for state committee and Christopher Thrasher as a delegate to Reno at the real LAMA state convention. I had also told Christopher that I intended to tone down criticism of the spin-off LAMA group that holds our organization’s resources hostage. They didn’t know what was coming down, even though they heard the same announcement from LAMA Chair Andrew Cordio that I did.

On the surface, it sure looked like I knew about the event that was coming down and said nothing.

I did know about the Region 8 agreement; it was announced at our convention Sunday publicly. I didn’t know about how it would be announced. I had actually told my Facebook media team earlier Monday that I’d prefer them to avoid mention of the spin-off, unless the leadership attacks us or we have news regarding LAMA’s own legitimacy within the national party orbit (specifically mentioning the Region 8 agreement).

But I don’t apologize in any way for my friends in other states sticking up for me, especially against a group that has now that has now twice voted by a 2-1 margin to exclude me personally from the Libertarian Party, as well as a group of libertarians more than twice as numerous as those voting in favor of the purge. The vote Saturday at their rump convention failed 8-15 to invite the allegedly expelled back to membership in their illegitimate group, with three abstentions. Only eight of 26 people at their rump convention voted to reverse the alleged expulsion of 47 members of the Libertarian Party.

I meant it when I nominated Don to our board; I think he’s a good guy who I’d welcome to our organization. I’m still glad I nominated Christopher as a delegate to the LNC, even though I was disappointed in his “abstain” vote to reverse the January 10 attempted purge. There are other good people still in their organization.

But the spin-off post-LAMA group also re-elected to its “state committee” on Saturday every member of the #DeathSpiral7 who hasn’t already gone off to a more comfortable home in the Democratic Party.

I also told my Facebook media team Monday morning that “I think eventually Don Graham, Christopher Thrasher and a few others in that group will realize on their own the futility of working with a half-sane, half-batshit crazy board.” I do think the sane people in that organization have a nearly impossible task ahead of them. They’re clearly outvoted by the die-hard purgers, and the only way the sane people can regain control is by becoming the very thing that’s put the group into a death spiral: they have to become purgers.

I’m willing to even include the purgers in our party (and I’m sure we can out-vote them), as is the rest of the state committee, because we don’t believe a political party with an exclusionary policy is a political party geared toward growth.

Let’s face it, even though I’m willing to work with them, there isn’t another state affiliate in the nation willing to work with them, so long as they head an organization that wants to exclude a majority of libertarians in the state from the party. The die-hard would-be purgers will certainly self-purge if they continue on this path.

P.S. One more thing: It was hinted to me Sunday that provoking the splinter group will take the case into the courts.

Let them do whatever they will. I’m not a lawyer, but I know they have nothing to gain and everything to lose by taking this to court. Even I know you need “damages” to win anything substantial in court. And even if the threat is only to tie the organization up in expensive harassment lawsuits, that’s not really a credible threat either. Raising funds to fight off an harassment lawsuit will be the easiest way to raise funds for LAMA. And after Reno, we’ll have the LNC at our back, with paralegal Angela McArdle at the head of the party.

Also, if the splinter group takes a dispute to the courts, I’m more than prepared to wage a non-violent war asymmetrically. I’m willing to tell the Smokin’ LLAMA’s that Ostpolitik has been suspended.